Due to numerous factors, this is the first time in the last 15 years or so I've not hunted hogs all year. In fact this is the second hog I've killed this year. Thursday night was the first. I was setting the timer on a spin-cast feeder about 9 pm, when I heard hogs squealing near by. I took note, but no particular precautions. I always carry a side arm. I finished setting the timer and walked over to the game cam, and got the disc out. When I turned around there were a dozen or so hoglets about six feet or so from me. The ATV was running and had lights on. I had on a head light. I pulled my Glock and nailed this little guy.




I skinned him out and will put him on the pit, whole.

Friday nite before Saturday's opener I sat in a blind overlooking one of my corn feeders, hoping to get a shot at a pig. The distance is 134 yds. according to my rangefinder. As you can see, the cover is pretty thick.



About 10 minutes before dark, a sounder of 20 or so pigs came in. I didn't even bother with the binocs. I viewed the sounder through my scope, picked out a good one and let fly. These hogs never stay still, They are "pigs" by nature. They are always competing with the others to get as much grub as they can. I always try to place a bullet about two inches below the ear on a line between the ear and shoulder. It severs their spine and they drop and paddle. No tracking. Anyway, such was not the case this evening. Consequently between the time my brain said "squeeze" and my trigger finger actually did, this sow moved enough for me to be about six inches behind the "sweet spot.
I was shooting a 325 WSM with 180 gr. Nosler Ballistic tips @ +/-2,750 fps. I heard the "whack" of the impact. Most times when I recover from the recoil, I've a dead hog laying there. Well it was going to be dark in a few minutes. Due to the topography, it takes me about 10 minutes and a 1/2 mile ride to get the 134 yds. to my feeder once I've gotten out of the stand. Needless to say, it was dark by time I got to the feeder to start looking for blood. Had no problem finding blood once I got there. I don't know if you've ever heard the old Johnny Horton song about "The Battle of New Orleans". There is a line in the song about the British retreat that goes something like "and they ran through the briars and they ran through the brambles and they ran through the bushes where a rabbit couldn't go". I kept thinking about that song as I was crawling on my hands and knees with my pistol in front of me following unbelievable patches of blood. Talk about bleeding like a stuck pig. Every ten feet or so there would be blood dumps like this.



I couldn't beleive this hog was still traveling. Turns out she only went about 50 yds. as the crow flys, but about 200 yds of tracking. Took me an hour on my hands and knees to finally find her. I left my ATV running so I could hear the motor and not get lost. My stand is way out in BFE, about 1.5 miles from the camp. My radio had gone dead. Luckily I did have my GPS. I don't freak out about spending the nite out in the woods. I do get very pissed off about missing the camp festivities the night before opening day.



I load the game I shoot onto my four wheeler by putting the hind legs on the running boards, reaching down, then pull upward using my weight as balast,and leaning backward over the back of the four wheeler. I've loaded countless animals that way. I weigh around 195 lbs. Heaviest I've ever loaded that way was an 184 lb axis. Based on the level of difficulty, I'd say she weighed between 130 and 150 lbs.


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Best

GWB

Great story. The details are always appreciated.

That's a mighty good shot for a "miss"!
At least you found her while still fresh.
Go shoot some more now, fill that freezer for winter eats.
George

I always look forward to your posts like this one. Love the details and descriptions. And you are dead-on about hogs: they NEVER seem to stay still.

Nice going!

Congratulations, Geedubya! Nice shooting -- great post!

very nice!

Hard won pork GW! Congrats!

Bob

Love the topography, I am stuck in flat land. What county is that in?

glocker17
The pix were taken in Uvalde County, near Reagan Wells. Say 16 miles north of Uvalde and 6 miles west of SH-83.

We could probably shoot bigger deer and have more varmints if we went south, but I also like the topography.

GWB

Great post Geedub!

Glad to hear you're out and about again but......

Buy a winch man!

Loading 130 lbs hogs on to the ATV is bad karma so soon, if you know what I mean.

Loved the story and picture too mate, I too want a glock to shoot pigs with now!

GW, that looks like the Glock 35 I sold you. Glad to see you are putting it to good use!

Nice! Were the pigs taken on public land? I'm hoping to hunt pigs in Texas soon, hopefully on public land. Again, nice pigs, thanks for the pictures and story.

quote:

Originally posted by larrys:
GW, that looks like the Glock 35 I sold you. Glad to see you are putting it to good use!

Yes it is.
And yes I've enjoyed it.
I keep it on me at all times at our lease. I started carrying it after I got charged at 10 paces by a wounded boar. At that time I was carrying a 45 acp. I was tracking it when it turned and charged. The boy who shot it was in front of me. I knocked him out of the way and the boar went between my legs knocking me over. Like an idiot I didn't have my glock 36 in my hand. Got up, started tracking him again . Second time he charged me, I was ready. Put 7 into him on a 10 yd charge. I was still clicking and coughing when he bit the dirt a couple feet in front of me. Seems I was out of bullets and my scrotum shrunk up all he way to my sternum. I decided then, 7 rounds weren't enough. I now keep two high cap mags with me. I alternate between JHP and FMJ handloads. Been thinking about going to full size 10mm.

GWB

quote:

Originally posted by Ugger:
Nice! Were the pigs taken on public land? I'm hoping to hunt pigs in Texas soon, hopefully on public land. Again, nice pigs, thanks for the pictures and story.

Ugger, no, I am on trespass leases in the Texas hill country. Lots of hogs. We snare, trap and shoot them.

Although I buy the annual hunting permit, I don't do much on public land other than dove hunt.

I wouldn't be the one to advise you on public land hunting in Texas.

GWB

CONGRATULATIONS ,I BELIEVE THAT I KILLED MORE HOGS WITH MY GLOCK 40 THAN WITH ANY OTHER GUN ,BECAUSE ITS ALWAYS IN MY BELT .

Juan,
here's one I finished off after the second charge. Put 7, 230 gr. JHP's out of a Glock 36 (45 ACP) in him in about 3 seconds over a distance of ten feet.



I'd have shot him more, but didn't have more bullets in that clip.
One of the LEO's that was hunting with me called me on the radio and asked If I had a license for full auto

We weighed him at 275 lbs.

Best

GWB

great hog ,very nice ,handguns must be kept always on the belt you dont lknow when you will use them .Cogratualtions my friend.